


How to Save a Life

by lulupickles



Category: Stephanie Plum - Janet Evanovich
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-21 05:13:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30016647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lulupickles/pseuds/lulupickles
Summary: Alternate Universe story. Definitely NOT cannon. Stephanie’s life changed after the Tasty Pastry incident. How does she survive when everyone either leaves or pushes her away? Joe is barely mentioned, Carlos is only a friend. Steph has a HEA... eventually.
Relationships: Stephanie Plum/Merry Man, Stephanie Plum/OC





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> All characters except Jeremy and family belong to Janet Evanovich. I make no money off her stories. I’m thankful she allows us to play with her characters.

Chapter 1

My name is Stephanie Romano. I was the youngest daughter of Frank and Helen Plum. My sister Valerie lives in California with her second husband Howard. Her first husband left her for their young, barely legal babysitter. I’m 35 years old. I work for Rangeman Miami as a researcher and client liaison. My mentor Ricardo Carlos Manoso is a Cuban Adonis. If I wasn’t still in love with Jeremy, I would have spent at least one night in Ranger’s bed.

When I was 16, I was raped behind the eclair case in Tasty Pastry. In order to escape the abuse I suffered at my mother’s hands, Dad sent me to live with Aunt Adrianna in Jacksonville Florida. She treated me as though I was her daughter, not her niece. After living with her for a few months, I started feeling more like my happy go luck self. I had so much to live for when I suddenly doubled over in pain.

Aunt Anna was an ER nurse and thought I had appendicitis. I was rushed to the hospital where I miscarried Joe Morelli’s spawn. As we waited for the gynaecologist she asked, “Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant? We wouldn’t have ridden the horses for the last few weeks.”

Crying, I said, “I didn’t know. My periods were never regular. It was common for me to skip a few months before I got the next one. I’m a failure and disgrace, just like Mom always said.”

“You are very brave. Not many women are able to cope emotionally after being raped. The therapist was impressed with your inner strength and ability to overcome such a traumatic experience. You are my Wonder Woman.” She hugged me as I grieved the loss of my innocent child.

The doctor released me the following day, confident I wouldn’t hemorrhage after the D&C he performed. I was uncomfortable during the next few days, but it wasn’t as painful as being raped. Aunt Anna and I talked about my experience.

Late one night, Aunt Anna said we needed to talk. I sat beside her on the couch as she shared her story. “Your dad was his best friend, but he never trusted his friend to keep his hands off me. A few times he would leave your dad to play pool in your grandparents’ basement to look for me. One day, I screamed. Your Grandpa and father caught him trying to break into my bedroom. It was the first time I ever saw your father fight. He punched his former best friend in the face, breaking his perfect Italian nose. I was around your age when I was beaten and raped after I tossed trash into the theatre dumpster. He told me he had been following me for months, hoping to catch me alone. Your dad usually picked me up from work and helped me toss the trash. That night, your father went on a date with Helen Mazur. She wanted to be with that other man, but dated your father hoping to make him jealous. After school, she bragged in front of her crush about going on a date with Frank Plum. If only she understood the consequences of her actions. When it came time to pick me up, she coaxed your father to have sex. Being a red blooded male, he jumped at the chance. As she willing gave up her virginity, mine was taken from me.”

“Is that why you asked Daddy to send me to you? Who was he? The man who hurt you?” I asked.

“Yes, that’s one of the reasons. The main reason was because the man who raped me, raised his sons to follow in his footsteps. His son, Joseph Morelli raped you. Like you, I became pregnant with his child. Your father had already joined the Army and was to leave for training in three weeks. Your Grandmother suspected my pregnancy and sent me to live with her sister Maria. The day before your father left, Helen told him she was pregnant. My father and your Grandpa Mazur forced them to get married before he left. Helen was visiting when I gave birth to a beautiful girl. Within hours on that same day, Helen gave birth to her stillborn daughter. She was devastated. The midwife swapped our babies, claiming mine was stillborn and hers was alive. Valerie is really your cousin. When Valerie was one, Helen discovered she was pregnant again. Your father was on leave that summer. They were hoping for a boy. Imagine her displeasure when she discovered you were a girl.”

If Valerie was actually my cousin, why did mom love her more than me, I wondered. I must have asked that question out loud. “You fell off the porch onto a knife laying on the ground. I think you were only three at the time. Valerie planted knives in the front garden hoping to ward off evil spirits. When you were injured she cried, ‘But Joe said it would keep my sister safe.’ You received your first blood transfusion that day. In order to have complete medical records, your mom asked for them to type Valerie’s blood. The nurse commented how much Valerie resemble the Morelli daughter Cathy. After a careful dinner invite and a saliva sample gathered via a Kleenex, your mother discovered Valerie was Anthony Morelli’s biological daughter. Six weeks later, on the day she received the results, Valerie became her favourite daughter.”

I raised my eyebrows, wondering why. I asked, “Why would she favour Valerie if Anthony was her father?”

Aunt Anna laughed. “Don’t you see? Helen was in love with Anthony Morelli. He married Angie after getting her pregnant. She had something she always wanted... his child.”

“Why did you decide to tell me your story? Was it because I was pregnant too?”

“No my darling girl. I received the results of the biopsy I had last month. They discovered a malignant tumour in my right breast. I have stage two breast cancer. Radiation and Chemotherapy start in September following surgery. It’s the reason I had you obtain your driver’s license. You’ll need to drive me to my appointments. We’ll work on finishing your GED this summer.”

She knows me too well. I wouldn’t be able to attend classes and take care of her. Quitting school would have been the obvious choice for me. My Aunt’s treatments were more important than my education.

On October 11, 2001, the day before I turned 18 and 4 months before she turned 40, my Aunt Adrianna lost her battle to breast cancer. I had a very difficult call to make. Using my new cell phone, I called Dad.

After a few rings he answered. “Pumpkin, is that you?” I was prepared to give him a sarcastic answer when I realized it was the first time calling him from this number.

“Yes Daddy, it’s me,” I cried.

“I’ll be on the next flight okay? Where are you?” he inquired.

“Memorial Hospital,” I barely whispered.

“See you in 5 hours. Stay where you are. Grandpa, Grandma and I will pick you up.”

“Okay Daddy, I’ll wait with Ronnie. She promised to wait with me.”

Dad arrived nearly 7 hours later. His plane from Newark departed nearly an hour late. I was nearly numb when he finally pulled me into his arms. “I’ll miss her too Pumpkin,” he whispered as he comforted me.

He stayed until the day after her burial. Grandpa and Grandma decided to move to Florida to stay with me. They found their daughter-in-law to be exhausting.

A few months later, on a rainy Saturday night my life was forever changed. On our way back from Miami, a transport truck veering into our lane. Grandpa was unable to prevent what happened next. I was laying on the back seat asleep when the truck hit us head on. That night, I lost my Grandpa and Grandma Plum. Other than a few scrapes and bruises, I was completely fine.

I called Daddy’s cell phone, but it went directly to voice mail. Since I didn’t have Valerie’s phone number, I was forced to call home. Helen answered, “You’ve reached the Plum residence.” Her voice was shrill and obviously phoney.

“May I please speak to Frank Plum?” I asked politely.

“I’m sorry. Mr Plum away, selecting new recruits to train for the Rangers. May I take a message?”

“I guess. Please inform Mr Plum his parents passed away late last night in a head on collision. Thank you. Goodbye,” I barely squeaked out. My own mother didn’t recognize my voice. The one person I needed most was unavailable. For the first time in the last 2 years, I felt truly alone.

I met Jeremy Richards the day I buried my grandparents. He was visiting his grandparents’ grave next to me. We started talking about our grandparents. He told me how he lost them several years earlier on a highway just outside Jacksonville. A drunk driver veered into their lane, killing everyone upon impact.

I told him about the accident a few nights earlier. “When I heard the news of their death on Sunday morning, I had to visit my grandparents’ grave. I miss them. They were my biggest supporters when I joined the Army. When they died, my parents decided to support my decision too. I was glad to have my family back.” We talked for a few more hours before exchanging phone numbers.

Jeremy was the first man I had sex with after the rape. I’ve dated a few men, but I was always too frightened to take the relationship to an intimate level. With Jeremy, it was very natural. He was very gentle and made sure I was both mentally and physically prepared before sex.

After a few months of dating, Jeremy received the call. Out of hundreds of applicants, he was selected to train for the Rangers. If he passed the training, he would be deployed immediately for a special ops mission. “Stephanie, sweetheart, I leave for training in a few weeks. I can’t leave until you agree to be my wife. Steph, I love you. Will you marry me?”

“Yes Jeremy, I will marry you.”

Jeremy and I got married the night before he left for Rangers training. I was still 18 and Jeremy was 21. Given the secrecy of his missions, he made me promise not to take on his last name. To protect me in case an enemy decided to use me as payback. The Rangers are an elite group of men specializing in black ops. We spent the night making love before he reluctantly left our bed at 5 am. That was the last day I saw him. On his first mission, Jeremy went MIA and was assumed to be deceased.

My mother and sister were angry I married Jeremy instead of Joseph Morelli, that bastard. I wanted to use Jeremy’s last name, but I remembered my promise. His mother allowed me to use her maiden name instead. The morning of his deployment, Felicity and Brian Richards received a call from Jeremy. He asked them to take care of his wife. It wasn’t long before we discovered I was pregnant.

I was afraid of losing our baby. What if I miscarried this one too? Grabbing my camera, I photographed the positive pregnancy test.

After our wedding, Felicity gave me 2 empty scrapbooks. She said it’s to keep a record of our life together. Once a month we worked on a few pages. In the small scrapbook window I place a picture of us on our wedding day.

The next page has a picture of him in his Army uniform. He looked very handsome. His mother created that page. She added more pictures she was given from his training and post mission. The next page was a tribute to our wedding day.

I carefully cut out letters spelling ‘Baby Richards.’ The pregnancy test photo was placed near the top. A copy of the first sonogram was placed in the centre along with the due date. I never saw myself as being a mother, but I had a great support team. Once every month, mum and I would create a few more pages. I concentrated on baby pages, including baby bump pictures. Mum created pages revolving around our family. We wanted Jeremy to feel a part of this process.

During the last few months of pregnancy, I was placed on bed rest. Dad, Brian, purchased an adjustable bed to allow me to sleep in a slightly inclined position. I was thankful for his thoughtfulness and generosity.

Mallory and Curtis Romano-Richards were born at 35 weeks. They remained in the NICU for one week after their birth. Felicity was completely enamoured with her grandchildren. I tried to nurse the babies, but they were too hungry for my body to keep up. We decided to bottle feed them after the first month.

Mum and Dad were very supportive. They enrolled me into online classes to further my education. Most courses I completed online, but a few required classroom instruction. Mum babysat on those days.

Two years after his disappearance, his family agreed with the Army and arranged his funeral. Reluctantly, I attended the funeral. In my heart, I knew he wasn’t dead. I held onto the hope he will return to me one day.

I continued my education. The thought of Jeremy dying motivated me to achieve my goal. In my heart he was still alive, but if he wasn’t, I needed to find a job to support our children.

After receiving my undergraduate diploma, I decided to complete my masters. While I attended college for my MBA, Mum watched the twins. I was extremely lucky to find Jeremy and his family. His parents were very supportive of my life choices. On the day of my graduation, our children and his parents were cheering for me.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie loses more of her support system. It seems as though she’s suffering more losses than anyone she knows. A neighbour helps her, she finds a new lifetime friend.

Chapter 2

A few weeks later, I jolted awake when a loud crash reverberated throughout the house. Lory and Curt were cuddled into me on the guest room bed. Marie, the maid, was asleep in my room. She slipped off the wet step and injured her back. In order to sleep comfortably, she needed the adjustable bed. I quickly lifted my twins and carried them from the house. As we cleared the doorway, the front of the house exploded. I had a strong feeling we needed to leave the area immediately. We borrowed a car from our neighbour Rosa and drove to Miami. She gave me keys to a ‘safe house’ located near the beach.

I pulled into the driveway of a small pale blue beach home. An overwhelming sense of home flowed through my body. Using the phone, I called Rosa. “Thank you for allowing me to stay here for the night. Tomorrow, I’ll look for a job and another place to live.”

“Stay as long as you need to. You and your children will be safe there. Contact mi nieto Mateo Manoso, he will help you find a job. His phone number is in the address book beside the phone. I’ll send mi nieta with groceries.”

“Thank you Rosa. I’ll call him tomorrow.” I heard a knock on the front door. My heart was beating faster as I carefully peaked between the blinds on the small window. A beautiful woman with long, dark, shiny hair waited patiently for me to answer the door. She had the most gorgeous mocha latte skin tone. With her perfect hair and warm brown eye, she must be the most attractive woman I have ever seen.

I didn’t sense danger from this woman, so I opened the door. She carried several bags into the kitchen. “Abuela Rosa asked me to bring you some food.”

“I’m sorry, but who are you?” I asked.

“Sorry, I left my manners at home. My name is Celia Manoso. Abuela Rosa, my grandma, asked me to bring you groceries.”

The children excitedly looked into the grocery bags. My Burg manners managed to kick in. “Hi. I’m Stephanie Romano and these are my children, Mallory and Curtis.”

She lowered herself to their level. “Hello Mallory and Curtis, my name is Celia. How old are you?” she gently asked.

Curtis shyly answered, “Hi Miss Celia. We are four. Our birthday is tomorrow. Mom says we start school soon.”

“Twins? You have your hands full. I can see Mallory looks exactly like you. Who does your son resemble?”

“They are very well behaved. Curtis looks exactly like his father. He too has blond hair and blue eyes,” I sadly said. “Curt, Lory, can you go watch TV?” I watched as Curtis grabbed Mallory’s, leading her to the family room.

It’s been so long since I’ve talked to someone close to my own age.

She waited until the TV could be heard before saying, “I’m so sorry Steph. When did he pass away?”

I glared at her. “He’s not dead. I would feel it if he was gone. He’s just lost. I pray he’ll come back to us.”

She timidly reached for my hand. “Is he in the Army?”

“In a manner of speaking. He went for Ranger training. Jeremy was immediately deployed on a special ops mission. I didn’t get the opportunity to tell him about his children. Three years ago his handler called to say he was MIA and the Army declared him as deceased,” I quietly said as tears streamed down my face.

“I understand. My brother Ricardo and cousin Lester are currently training for the Rangers. Ric is almost 25, his birthday is next month and Lester just turned 24. It was very difficult for Abuela, Mama and Tia Sophia. Last year, my boyfriend’s truck ran over an IED. He died instantly. Ric was the one to tell me Juan was gone. Would you like me to visit again? We could both use a friend,” she offered.

“It’s been difficult not having someone to talk to and understand what I’m going through. I would like us to become friends. Maybe then I won’t feel so alone.” She pulled me into her arms.

A few minutes later she asked, “Out of curiosity, how old are you? I’m a year older than Ric.”

“I’m 24. I’ll be 25 in October.”

She smiled. “I am so jealous right now. You don’t look a day over 17. I wish I could maintain such a youthful look.”

I started to laugh. “Says the gorgeous, perfect woman standing in front of me.”

We talked late into the night. She helped me cook dinner and settle the twins in bed. Celia was a teacher at the elementary school where the twins will attend in September. She teaches second grade, so it would be a few years before she’ll become their teacher. As she predicted, Celia and I became quick friends.

She helped me register the children into school while her brother gave me a job as office manager in his law firm. Within months, Mateo’s law firm merged with another small firm. Manoso, Santos and Sherman thrived as I maintained the office.

Celia, Mateo and I spend a few nights a week cooking dinner at the beach house. My children loved their Tia Celia and Tia Mateo. I discovered Marcus Santos was Lester’s dad and André Sherman was a guy named Tank’s cousin. I laughed at the name until they said Tank’s real name was Pierre. My laughter subsided briefly until Mateo said Tank was a 6’6” black guy. I fell over from laughing so hard. Apparently Tank’s French mother married a Jamaican and insisted on giving their son a French name.

We celebrated my birthday at a family restaurant. Lory and Curt gave me a beautiful charm bracelet. Teo and Celia took them shopping a few days earlier. The Italian charm bracelet contained 4 charms, a Wonder Woman symbol, a girl, a boy and the Ace of Hearts. A representation of our family. “Thank you babies. It’s perfect.”

“Tia Celia and Tio Teo gave us money to buy you a gift Mommy,” Mallory stated.

“I told Tio Teo you always gave us gifts, but nobody gave you gifts,” Cutis confessed. The last gift I received, the locket I wear around my neck, was from my Jeremy’s parents. A picture of Jeremy is on one side, the twins on the other.

Mateo’s firm handled the Richards’ estate after their death. My in-laws left everything to Mallory and Curtis. When they turn 25, they will have a very secure financial future. After selling the newly repaired house, Mateo had his financial advisor invest the twins inheritance. Fortunately, the scrapbooks were salvaged and returned to me. I also discovered the authorities thought Stephanie Plum died in the explosion. It took weeks to settle that mess. Mateo had to request a copy of my birth certificate and driver’s license to prove I was still alive.

A month later, during one of our dinners, I felt a sense of dread. Celia caught me as I slumped toward the floor. She gently rocked me and asked, “What’s wrong Steph?”

“He’s gone,” I whispered as sobs slowly shook through my body.

Mateo picked me up and wrapped his arms around me. “Who’s gone?”

“My husband.”

“I thought he died a few years ago.” He sounded confused.

I shook my head no. “He was still alive. I could feel him. But now that feeling has left me. I know he is truly gone. He will never see his babies.”

In a God forsaken town in Columbia, Jeremy spoke his last few words to his best friend. “I thought she was dead but Ric said she’s still alive. Mike, promise me you’ll take care of my wife? Her name is Stephanie Michelle Plum.” He pressed a photo of his wife into his friend’s hand.

“I promise Ace, I’ll take care of your wife.” Jeremy died in his friend’s arms as the extraction helicopter finally arrived. Mike finally looked at the photo and saw how beautiful she was.

Ric hopped into the helicopter, reached through the open door to drag Jeremy’s lifeless body onto the floor. They left once Michael pulled himself into the craft.

Jeremy was laid to rest the following week. He was buried in the Military gravesite in Washington DC. Living through one funeral for Jeremy was bad enough. The finality of this funeral nearly devastated me. I will never see my husband’s gorgeous again. My babies will never have the chance to meet their father.

Celia stayed with my children in Miami. I wanted to keep them away from such sadness. They attended their grandparents’ funeral and they didn’t really want to attend this one. I also didn’t want the only memory of their father to be his funeral.

Many Army, Navy and Rangers hugged me as they gave their condolences. I felt an electric current run through my body when a tall, brown haired, blue eyed man hugged me. “I’m so sorry for your loss. Jeremy was a wonderful friend and leader.” He pulled a chain from around his neck. “Jeremy wanted you to have these.” I took the chain and pulled it over my head. His dog tags and wedding band hung from a sturdy silver chain around my neck.

“Please excuse my manners,” I started. “I didn’t catch your name.”

“Michael, ma’am. Jeremy has been my best since grade school. We joined the Army and Rangers together.” He handed me a piece of paper with his name, address and phone number. “Call me any time. I’ll answer whenever I can, if not, leave a message and I’ll call you back as soon as I’m able. I leave for another mission soon.”

I felt a connection to Michael, but he still had a 4 year contract with the Rangers. Jeremy would want me to move on, but my broken heart will take longer to heal. He was the love of my life. No other man could ever replace him in my heart.

Looking back at the grave, I read, Jeremy Curtis Richards September 17, 1982 - November 28, 2010. “Goodbye my love,” I whispered before walking towards my rental car. It was time to go home. My babies needed their mother and I needed my babies.

Michael’s phone number was safely tucked away in my purse. I knew without a shadow of doubt I would never call him. Being a military wife was difficult, you never knew when you would receive that call saying your loved one died in the line of duty.

If I ever decided to date again, I vowed to never someone currently serving our country. My needs are secondary to my children’s needs. Raising and supporting my children was my only foreseeable goal.

It took nearly 8 hours to return home. The only flight available had a layover and I needed to change planes. I was exhausted when I walked into the beach house just after midnight. Celia was reading a book in the living room.

I cried the second she pulled me into her embrace. “It’s alright Steph. Let it out. I’m here for you.” She held me as I finally released the tears threatening to fall since the funeral.

“Thank you for staying with my kids. You have been an amazing friend.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank Plum reaches out to her daughter. She confesses the changes in her life as they talk. Jeremy reaches out to Stephanie beyond the grave to assist his friend.

Chapter 3

A few days later my cell phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number, but I had a strong feeling I should answer the call. “Hello.”

“Stephanie? Pumpkin?” I heard my dad ask.

“Hi Daddy.”

“I just heard about Jeremy. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you,” he sadly said.

“It’s alright Daddy. I know you were too busy or you would have called sooner. Are you still part of the Rangers selection process for the Army?”

“I just completed the last term of my contract. My new job at the post office begins next month.”

“Are you excited about spending time with Helen and Valerie?” I asked.

He sighed, “Helen and I are getting divorced.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Helen was disappointed you weren’t going to marry Joseph Morelli. Being his half sister, Valerie couldn’t marry him. She was counting on you having the Morelli name. When she discovered you married Jeremy, she went crazy. I didn’t like what she had to say about my daughter, so I filed for divorce and extended my contact to select and train new Rangers. It devastated me when I was informed you died in a house explosion while I was away on a mission. I smashed my phone after I received the news. Eventually, a man named Mateo Manoso contacted my handler to pass along a message you were still alive.”

“I’m sorry to have caused you so much grief Daddy. If I had known you thought I was dead, I would’ve called to let you know I was still very much alive. I loved Jeremy. If you trained new Ranger recruits, did you get the chance to meet him?” I was hoping Dad met my husband.

“I met Ace. Jeremy was a very bright, skilled and honourable man. He too was devastated when he heard about your death. We went for drinks and shared stories about you. I heard a rumour he just learned you were still alive on the day he died.”

“That’s what I was told too. Daddy, I have some important news to share with you. Jeremy and I had twins. Mallory and Curtis are now 5 years old. Would you be willing to visit us in Miami?” I asked, hoping he would visit.

“I have a grandson?” he asked shocked.

“Yes Daddy, and a granddaughter. I know they would love to meet you.”

“I would love to meet them,” he excitedly said.

We made arrangements for him to visit within the next few days. I wanted to prepare the children for his visit. He was planning to stay until his new job started. I was hoping he would be willing to relocate to Miami.

Later that night, I told the kids about their grandfather. They were excited, although nervous, to meet him. Curt asked a lot of questions. “What’s Grandpa like?”

“He was a Ranger like your Daddy. Also like your Daddy, he is a very kind, honest and generous man. I think you two would like him,” I attempted to explain.

“If he is so kind, why haven’t we met him already?” my sweet Lory asked.

I took a few minutes to think of a response. “Lory, do you remember the story about Snow White?” She nodded. “Well, my mom was a lot like the wicked step-mother. She was always punishing me for being adventurous and ridicule me if I would behave in a manner not approved by the Burg.”

“What’s the Burg?” Curt interrupted.

“It’s short for Chambersburg which is a suburb in Trenton New Jersey. The women in the Burg act like the typical 50’s women. Meaning they have to always act like a lady, get married, have babies, cook, clean and stay at home to raise the children.”

“When I grow up, I want to be just like you Mommy,” Lory stated.

“Nothing would make me happier than to see you live the life you want.” I pulled her into a hug. “Now back to why you two haven’t met your Grandpa. Helen, my Mom, wasn’t happy with me. No matter how hard I tried, I found her rules to be restrictive and felt smothered. When I was 16, something really bad happened to me. My Mom was very mean to me. She called me names and made me feel really bad about myself. After seeing how much damage Helen was causing me, my Dad, your Grandpa, sent me to Miami to live with my Aunt Adrianna. I readily agreed to escape Helen’s abuse. It turned into the best decision of my life.”

“Is that when you met Daddy?” Lory asked.

“I met your Daddy the day I buried Grandpa and Grandma Plum.”

“How did you meet Dad?” Curt curiously asked. I told them all about their father, but I never told them the story of how we actually met.

“Well, I was at Grandpa and Grandma’s graves after their funeral when he was visiting his Grandparents’ grave,” I smiled at the memory. “You see... their graves are next to each other. Your Daddy saw how upset I was and asked me for my phone number. He gave me his. We talked for hours that day. You Dad and I spent a lot of time together. I knew he was the man I was going to marry. Your Daddy and I were very much in love. I miss him everyday. When he went back to train for the Rangers, he left me the best gift possible.”

“What gift Mommy?” both Lory and Curt asked.

“Mallory and Curtis. The best gift he left me was the two of you,” I replied as I pulled them into a hug. I was glad when they stopped asking questions about my parents and their Dad.

Not a day passes without me thinking about Jeremy. He would be so proud of the way I was raising our children. Curtis is looking more like his father every day. Mallory is an exact replica of me at her age.

We cuddled on the couch to watch a movie. Lory and Curt fell asleep before it finished. I continued to watch the movie when Celia entered the house.

“Hey Steph. How are the kids?” she asked smiling.

“Great. We just finished watching Snow White.” She raised an eyebrow.

“It was Lory’s idea. I told them my Dad will be visiting soon. I told them about their Grandpa and how much Helen’s personality resembled the wicked step-mother from Snow White,” I explained.

“Do you need help carrying these guys to bed?” she asked.

“Please. If you can grab Lory from my lap, I’ll grab Curt.” She easily lifted Mallory who quickly snuggled into her neck.

“Love you Tia Celia,” Lory sleepily said.

“Te amo my sweet sobrina pequeña,” she replied. Curt wrapped his arms around my neck but remained silent. He rarely wakes up when carried to bed.

Celia and I visited for a few hours before calling it a night. She hugged me before leaving. “Let me know if you need help when your Dad visits,” she offered.

“I should be fine, but thank you for offering. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I had a difficult time sleeping. When I did manage to sleep, my dreams were haunted by Jeremy begging me to contact Michael. I couldn’t understand why it was so important. Feeling the urgency of his request in my dreams, I grabbed my purse to find the number.

After checking on my sleeping children, I grabbed my phone to place that urgent call.

“Hello?” a shaky voice quietly answered.

“Michael? Is that you?” I asked.

“Yes. Who is this?” he inquired. His voice was still shaky and quiet. Almost like he didn’t want someone to know he was on the phone.

“Stephanie Richards. Jeremy’s wife. You asked me to call. Are you alright?” I asked. During his silence, I sensed something wasn’t right. I put the call on speaker and sent a quick text to Mateo. ‘Something is wrong with Jeremy’s friend Michael. Can you get somebody to check on him? He’s in DC.’

It was 3 am and I wasn’t sure I would receive‘Sure. I can ask my brother if he can check in on him. He’s still in DC until he deploys tomorrow,’ he quickly replied.

“Stay on the phone with me Michael. I’m trying to send help.”

“How did you know?” he whispered.

Mateo sent another message. ‘He located Michael. Will be there in a few minutes. Keep him on the line.’

“Help will be there in a few minutes. Hang in there Michael. I need to keep you on the phone.” I started telling him about how Jeremy and I met and different places we enjoyed visiting.

A few minutes later I heard gun shots and screaming. It sounded like Michael’s phone fell to the floor. I quietly waited on the open line for someone to pick up the phone to give me an update. What seemed like forever, but was only 3 minutes, I heard someone say, “Hello. Is there still someone on this line?”

I fumbled with the phone before answering, “Yes. I’m still here. Is Michael alright?”

“He will be.”

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“Michael has a gunshot wound in his shoulder. It appears to have nicked an artery. My medic Bobby is tending to him. An ambulance will be here soon.”

A gunshot wound? Is he going to be alright? What happened?

“He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. If you hadn’t asked for help, he wouldn’t have made it,” he said, answering my not so silent question. “How did you know he was in danger?”

“Jeremy told me in my dream that Michael needed help. I had a feeling I needed to listen and get someone to check on him. How did you find him?” I was curious.

“I had help from my team. We specialize in finding people. It helped having his phone line open.”

“Who am I speaking to?” I was beyond curious who was able to find Michael so easily.

“Major Manoso. You know my brother Mateo,” he answered.

“Thank you for helping Michael. Please have the hospital contact me with an update,” I requested.

“HUA,” he replied before ending the call.

‘Did Ric get there in time?’ Mateo texted.

‘Yes. Thank you for your help. Michael will be alright.’

‘Awesome. Glad to help. See you tomorrow afternoon.’

I smiled before putting my phone on my night stand. It didn’t take long for sleep to finally claim me.

Morning arrived sooner than I wanted. It was a school day, so I needed to get my munchkins ready. Mallory was excited to get to school. “It’s show and tell day Mommy.”

“What are you taking for show and tell Mallory?””

“Curt and I are taking a picture of Daddy,” she announced.

“Oh? What are you going to say?”

“How brave my Daddy was,” she started.

“And how he saved his team by dying,” Curt finished.

I was surprised they knew what happened. “Who told you that story?”

“Tio Teo,” he quickly replied.

“When did he tell you the story?” I was wondering when Mateo had the opportunity to tell them about their father’s death.

“You were at the funeral,” Mallory sadly stated. “I asked Tio why my Daddy had to die.” Tears started rolling down her face.

“Sweetheart, I’m so sorry you never got to meet your Daddy.” I pulled her into my arms until her crying stopped.

Cheerfully she said, “I’m okay now Mommy.” She grabbed the picture and carefully wrapped it in dish towels to protect the glass. I grabbed a container slightly larger than the wrapped picture frame for additional protection. “Why did you put the picture in the container Mommy?”

“To give it extra protection in your backpack in case you throw or drop it.”

“Thank you Mommy.” She gave me a big hug before grabbing Curt’s hand to walk to the bus stop. I watched as the bus opened the door to allow them entry. My babies are growing up too fast.

Not wanting to further mess up my sleep schedule, I showered and dressed for work. Dad sent me a text as I was locking my purse into the desk drawer. ‘On my way. Will be at your house at 5.’

‘See you then,’ I replied.


End file.
